What causes a b12 vitamin deficiency?

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential nutrient that our body requires for normal red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis and nervous system function. Unfortunately, vitamin B12 deficiency is becoming increasingly common among people all over the world due to their poor dietary habits and lifestyle choices.

In this article we are going to understand what causes a b12 vitamin deficiency and how it can affect our health in several ways.

What is Vitamin B12?

Before we dive deep into understanding the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, let’s take a moment to understand what exactly is vitamin B-12.

Vitamin-B-12, or Cobalamin (because scientists love giving fancy names to things), refers to a group of water-soluble vitamins that plays an important role in numerous bodily functions. It actually consists of four different forms – cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, adenosylcobalmin and methylcobalmin – but only two (methylcobalamine & 5-deoxyadenosyl cobalamine) play any significant roles in human metabolism.

It helps produce healthy red blood cells which carry oxygen around your body. This helps maintain your energy levels because your body uses oxygen from the blood for cellular respiration which generates ATP; the basic unit of energy within biological systems.

How Does Our Body Get Vitamin B-12?

As humans are unable to make vitamin-b-12, they have to acquire it through food or supplements. Unfortunately many people just don’t consume enough foods containing such vitamins or follow restrictive diets which can increase their risk of developing b12 deficiencies amongst other issues such as malnutrition etc.. If you’re feeling tired lately then maybe it’s time you tried spicing up yo’ diet!

Some good sources include:

  • Fish
  • Meat such as beef, pork and lamb
  • Poultry foods like chicken and duck
  • Dairy products including cheese, milk and yoghurt.

If you’re taking a multivitamin then that might have some vitamin B12 present; but make sure to check the ingredients before you commit. It is also worth noting that some people are able to absorb less vitamin-b12 than others which could be due to a variety of factors discussed below,

Causes Of Vitamin-B-12 Deficiency

There can be numerous reasons behind b12 deficiencies including various dietary restrictions or issues with absorption in one’s digestive system. Below we discuss some common causes:

Vegans And Vegetarians

While it’s often considered a healthier lifestyle choice by many, going vegan actually increases one’s risk of developing b12 deficiency as most plant-based foods lack adequate concentrations of this nutrient compared to animal based food sources mentioned earlier.

Soy milk and meat alternatives may claim they contain added amount of b^fkn’ 2 but don’t rely solely on those for your daily intake because sometimes marketing claims can overshadow actual benefits . So munching on more high protein items like beans AND incorporating the above mentioned animal products into their diet plan may help vegans avoid serious health concerns down the road!

Digestive System Issues

Your body must digest/absorb any vitamins/nutrients ingested through food correctly so these substances enter into bloodstream & get utilized properly. Unfortunately several conditions involving gastrointestinal tract (particularly stomachs) limit how much Cobalamin folks’ bodies absorbs resulting in low blood cobalamin levels over time! Older peeps are particularly vulnerable especially if they have been living w/ inflammation somewhere along GI tract such ulcers, Crohn’s disease or atrophic gastritis (refers damage done by too little acid secretion).

Here are a few other specific illnesses associated with suboptimal b12 absorption:

  • Pernicious anemia: It’s a condition resulting from the lack of intrinsic factor (IF), things like gastric acidity/atrophy or just autoimmune destruction thereof can happen; but essentially low IF means less vitamin-b-1^2 absorbed in GI tract.
  • Celiac disease and other gastrointestinal disorders
  • Irritable bowel syndrome

Other factors contributing to Vitamin-B12 Deficiency

Other factors that contribute to B12 deficiency include :

  • Certain medications, especially those used for diabetes or acid reflux
  • Alcohol consumption over time can impede absorption.
  • Some weight-loss surgeries such as roux-en-y procedure done on stomach/intestines also increases risk of malabsorption.

It is important that we identify these potential causes in order to prevent further damage down the road. Now let us learn more about what actually happens when one has a b12 deficiency.

Signs And Symptoms Of B12 Deficiency

There are several signs and symptoms associated with Vitamin-B-12 deficiency which usually manifest slowly over time. Here are few common ones :

1) Muscle Weakness
2) Fatigue/Lethargy
3) Pale Skin
4) Shortness/slabbering of breath
5) Sudden Loss In Appitite/Hunger Pangs(thus leading to significant weight loss)
6) Numb Feet And Fingers(a sign of nerve damage)

The longer you go without treatment, the worse it becomes so try paying attention if you feel any off these coming on !

Conclusion

In conclusion, vitamin B 12 plays many vital roles within our body meaning getting enough should be taken relatively seriously.

Though poor diet isn’t only culprit here, many people’s dietary patterns forever change away from animal-based products either outta personal choice or due health restrictions/downfall… Not getting your recommended daily allowance (RDA) This may lead to further development of vitamin B-12 deficiency.

The good news is that most mild to moderate cases can be easily treated with oral supplementation or dietary habits adjustments because the human absorption process responds well this approach. But before switching up your diet consider a blood test for an exact diagnosis & treatment plan, primarily if you have any underlying medical conditions as some treatments require Intravenous(IV) form due severity

So there you go – this should give you a solid understanding of what causes a Vitamin-B-12 deficiency and how to prevent/manage it by tweaking our diet habit somewhat . Remember getting enough vitamins especially b^wichuit “2” = keeping ya glow-up game strong; tiredness means yawning which isn’t cute!

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